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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bereshit
- Lech Lecha
There is a fascinating common denominator at work here. In our Parsha, Avraham makes a decision to part ways with his nephew Lot. Now, Lot was never a candidate for tzadik-of-the-year, but Avraham was committed to caring for him. So what was it that suddenly made Avraham decide to split with Lot? As part of his strong sense of honesty & integrity, Avraham muzzled his animals as they passed through other's fields. But Lot's shepherds did not. When questioned why not, they had a ready rationalization from Lot: "G-d promised this land to Avraham & his family, and I am his rightful heir. So technically, I'm at least part owner of whatever grows here. Thus I'm really only taking that which is destined to be mine!"
Avraham thought long & hard about this: He could accept lapses of honesty & the occasional misdeed - after all, no one is perfect. But when that shadiness is wrapped in a cloak of fair play, it turns justice on its head & is simply too devious, too dangerous to be around. And so Avraham reluctantly decides he cannot share a community with these people. He parts from Lot, who ultimately will lose all of his ill-gotten wealth.
This devotion to moral correctness may have been a legacy left to Avraham by Noach. For Noach confronted this very same malicious mentality in his own day. The generation of the Flood thought they had it figured out: If they steal just a little bit at a time, in amounts too small to be prosecuted, they could get away scot-free with their theft! But it was precisely this combination of crime and cleverness which Hashem despises, and so He decided that such a generation must be replaced.
The lesson for us is that while you may be able to outwit the law, you can never outsmart the Lawgiver. Pay up now - or youll surely pay up later.
Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Was ordained at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois, and led congregations in Chicago and Dallas prior to making Aliyah in 1992. He directs the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra'anana, helping to facilitate the spiritual absorption of new olim.
Jewish Laws and Thoughts Shul “etiquette:” can we honor Hashem while respecting our fellow congregants?
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Israel and the Nations A Few Minutes & Many Innovative Ideas on Antisemitism & What to do About It
As we approach the High Holidays, this short lecture (18 minutes) deals with the unfortunate situation of how Israel and the Jewish People stand against antisemitism, analyzing its cause according to Rav Kook, and how to deal with the issue pragmatically & via our prayers.
Ha'azinu PURSUIT is PERFECTION
p. Ha'azinu, Shabbat Shuva
Rav Kook deals with the question of the seemingly hopeless nature of Tshuva. For G-d Himself knows that He created us with free will, which inevitably means we will sometimes make mistakes and choose wrong. This can easily be frustrating, freezing us into inaction and ye'ush (loss of hope). If one sins even once, does he chalila have no choice but suicide?! Moreover, our Godly conscience demands justice, righteousness and perfection, but we all know this is impossible, so what's the solution? Rav Kook's innovative thinking, strongly based on chazal (our sages), offers an inciteful and important aspect to this topic, especially this time of year!
Sukkot Bug-Free Sukkah: Essential Halachic and Practical Schach Guide
How to inspect, clean, and store bamboo mats and palm branches to protect your mitzvah and holiday meals.
